Codex XI, Text 4 — Nag Hammadi Library
The high-minded one descends, and at the spring of blood she meets the shining-eyed.
Hypsiphrone.
The book about the things that
were seen by Hypsiphrone,
revealed in
the place of her virginity.
And she heard
her brothers [...] Phainops,
and they [...and]
they spoke with one another
in a mystery. But I
was first, dwelling
beside [...]
[...]
[...] I came forth
to the place of my virginity,
and I went up to the
world. Then those
who abide in the
place of my virginity
informed me about these things,
and I went
up to the world. And they
said to me: "Again," Hypsi‑
phrone, "withdraw from outside
the place of your virginity."
Then the one who heard, Phainops,
the one who blows into
the spring of blood, stretched
her out, and he said:
"I am Phainops […]"
[...]
[...]
desire [...]
all the rest of humanity.
Or I looked upon a man […]
this was of blood […]
face [...]
[...] fire
and [...] in his
hands. Then I said
to him: "Phainops has not
come upon me — he has not
defiled me [… they] saw a
man […]"
[...]
[...]
[...] for he
said [...] Phainops,
this [...] I saw him.
And he said to me: "Hypsiphrone,
why do you remain outside of me?
Follow me, and I will
teach you about them." And I
followed him, for I was
within a great fear. And
he showed me a spring of blood
which was revealed, giving fire [...]
[...] he said [...]
[...]
Colophon
Hypsiphrone (Υψιφρόνη, "High-Minded" or "Exalted Thought") is a deeply damaged first-person narrative from the last pages of Codex XI. The speaker is a female figure who tells of leaving the place of her virginity and descending into the world, where she encounters a mysterious figure called Phainops (Φαινώψ, "Shining-Eyes"), who blows upon a spring of blood. Over three-quarters of the text is lost to lacunae, but what survives suggests a descent myth — perhaps related to the fall of Sophia or the journey of a divine feminine figure into the material realm. The text has no known parallels in other Gnostic literature, and its classification within Gnostic schools remains uncertain.
Source: Coptic (Sahidic) text from Nag Hammadi Codex XI, pages 69–72. Translation: Good Works Translation, New Tianmu Anglican Church.
Scribe: Kavi
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Source Text — Sahidic Coptic
Page 69
69.21 ⲩⲯⲓϥⲣⲟⲛⲏ
69.22
69.23 ⲡϫⲱⲱⲙⲉ ⲉⲧⲃⲉ ⲛⲉⲧⲁⲩ
69.24 ⲛⲁⲩ ⲉⲣⲟⲟⲩ ⲛⲧⲛ ⲩⲯⲓϥⲣⲟ
69.25 ⲛⲏ: ⲉⲩⲟⲩⲱⲛϩ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲙ̅
69.26 ⲡⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲛⲧⲉⲥⲙⲛⲧ̅ⲡⲁⲣ
69.27 ⲑⲉⲛⲟⲥ: ⲁⲩⲱ ⲥⲥⲱⲧⲙ ⲉ
69.28 ⲛⲉⲥⲥⲛⲏⲩ 6- ϥⲁⲓ̅
69.29 ⲛⲱⲯ̅ ⲙⲛ̅ ⲥ 6- ⲁⲩⲱ
69.30 ⲉⲩϣⲁϫⲉ ⲙⲛ ⲛⲟⲩⲉⲣⲏⲩ
69.31 ϩⲛ̅ ⲟⲩⲙⲩⲥⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛ ⲁⲛⲟⲕ
69.32 ⲇⲉ ⲛⲉⲩϣⲟⲣⲡ̅ ⲡⲉ ⲛⲱⲡ ⲛ
69.33 ⲥⲁⲟⲩⲥⲁ. 8- .ⲡⲉ
69.34 14- .
Page 70
70.13
70.14 10- ⲟⲓ ⲁⲓⲉⲓ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ
70.15 ⲉⲡⲓⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲛⲧⲉ ⲧⲁⲙⲛⲧ/̅ⲡⲁⲣ
70.16 ⲑⲉⲛⲟⲥ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲁⲉⲓⲃⲱⲕ ⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ
70.17 ⲉⲡⲕⲟⲥⲙⲟⲥ: ⲧⲟⲧⲉ ⲁⲩⲧⲁ
70.18 ⲙⲟⲓ ⲉⲧⲃⲉ ⲛⲏ: ⲛϭⲓ ⲛⲏ ⲉⲧⲙⲏⲛ
70.19 ⲉⲡⲓⲧⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲛⲧⲉ ⲧⲁⲙⲛⲧ
70.20 ⲡⲁⲣⲑⲉⲛⲟⲥ: ⲁⲩⲱ ⲁⲓⲃⲱⲕ
70.21 ⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ ⲉⲡⲕⲟⲥⲙⲟⲥ: ⲁⲩⲱ ⲡⲉ
70.22 ϫⲁⲩ ⲛⲁⲓ ϫⲉ ⲕⲉⲥⲟⲡ ⲁⲩⲯϥⲣⲟ
70.23 ⲛⲏ ⲣⲁⲛⲁⲝⲱⲣⲓ ⲛⲥⲁⲛⲃⲟⲗ ⲙ
70.24 ⲡⲙⲁ ⲛⲧⲉⲥⲙⲛⲧ/̅ ⲡⲁⲣⲑⲉⲛⲟⲥ:
70.25 ⲧⲟⲧⲉ ⲁⲡⲉⲧⲁϥⲥⲱⲧⲙ̅ ⲛϭⲓ
70.26 ϥⲁⲓⲛⲱⲯ̅ ⲡⲉⲧⲛⲓϥⲉ ⲉϩⲟⲩⲛ
70.27 ϩⲛ̅ ⲧⲥⲡⲏⲅⲏ ⲛⲥⲛⲟϥ ⲡⲱⲣϣ̅
70.28 ⲛⲉⲥ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ: ⲁⲩⲱ ⲡⲉϫⲁϥ
70.29 ϫⲉ ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲡⲉ ϥⲁⲓⲛⲱⲯ̅ .ⲟⲛ
70.30 ⲁ.ⲛ 6- ......
70.31 . 6- .ⲩⲁ
70.32 . 6- ...ⲓⲧⲉ
70.33 . 12- ⲁϥ
70.34
Page 71
71.16
71.17 ⲛ[
71.18 ⲥⲱⲣⲙ ⲙ[
71.19 ⲁϥⲁ.ⲧⲉ ⲛ[ 9- ⲟⲩ
71.20 ⲉⲡⲓⲑⲩⲙⲓⲁ 9- ⲧⲏ
71.21 ⲡⲉ ⲛⲛⲓⲕⲉϣⲱϫⲡ̅ ⲛⲣⲱⲙⲉ
71.22 ⲏ ⲛⲧⲁⲛⲁⲩ ⲉⲩⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲡⲉⲓ
71.23 ⲛⲉ ⲛⲥⲛⲟϥⲏ 8- ]ⲉ
71.24 ϩⲟ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ 9- .ⲧⲉ
71.25 ⲛⲛⲟⲩⲗ 10- ⲕⲱϩⲧ̅
71.26 ⲙⲛ̅ ⲟⲩⲟ. 9- ϩⲛ̅ ⲛⲉϥ
71.27 ϭⲓϫ: ⲧⲟⲧⲉ ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲡⲉϫⲁⲓ
71.28 ⲛⲁϥ ϫⲉ ⲙⲡⲉϥϣⲉ ⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ ⲉ
71.29 ϫⲱⲓ ⲛϭⲓ ϥⲁⲓⲛⲱⲯ̅ ⲙⲡⲉϥ
71.30 ⲥⲱⲣⲙ̅:. 8- ⲛⲁⲩ ⲉⲩ
71.31 ⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲛ 10- ϥ:
71.32 . 11- ⲩ
71.33 14- ⲙⲛ̅
71.34 14- ⲁⲩ
71.35 14- ⲛⲁ
71.36 (3- ⲗineϣ lackinϭ)
Page 72
72.16
72.17 18- ⲛ.
72.18 .ⲟ 16- ⲅⲁⲣ ⲉⲧⲁϥ
72.19 ϫⲟⲟϥ 11- .ⲛ ϥⲁⲓⲛⲱⲯ̅
72.20 ⲡⲁⲓ 6- .ⲉ..ⲁⲓⲛⲁⲩ ⲉⲣⲟϥ
72.21 ⲁⲩⲱ ⲡⲉϫⲁϥ ⲛⲁⲓ ϫⲉ ⲩⲯⲓϥⲣ̅ⲟⲛⲏ
72.22 ⲉⲧⲃⲉ ⲟⲩ ⲕϣⲟⲟⲡ ⲛⲥⲁⲃⲟⲗ ⲙⲙⲟⲓ
72.23 ⲟⲩⲱϩ ⲙⲙⲟⲕ ⲛⲥⲱⲓ: ⲁⲩⲱ tⲛⲁ
72.24 ⲧⲁⲙⲟⲕ ⲉⲣⲟⲟⲩ: ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲇⲉ ⲁⲉⲓ
72.25 ⲟⲩⲁϩⲧ̅ ⲛⲥⲱϥ: ⲛⲉⲓϣⲟⲟⲡ ⲅⲁⲣ
72.26 ⲛϩⲣⲁⲓ ϩⲛ̅ ⲟⲩⲛⲟϭ ⲛϩⲟⲧⲉ: ⲁⲩⲱ
72.27 ⲁϥⲧⲁⲙⲟⲉⲓ ⲉⲩⲡⲏⲅⲏ ⲛⲥⲛⲟϥ
72.28 ⲉⲥϭⲟⲗⲡ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ: ⲉⲥt ⲕⲱϩⲧ̅
72.29 [.ⲉⲉ 9- ⲡⲉϫⲁϥ
72.30 [.ⲉⲁ. 8- ⲱⲕ ⲙ.
72.31 [
72.32 [.
72.33 [ⲩⲛ[
Source Colophon
Sahidic Coptic text of Hypsiphrone, Nag Hammadi Codex XI, pages 69-72. Transcription from codex photographs and critical editions.
Source: Milan Konvicka / Marcion Project (GPL v2).
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